Molding apparatus

ABSTRACT

AN APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR THE CONTROLLED MOLDING OF MATERIALS IS PROVIDED WHEREBY A PLURALITY OF MOLDING VARIABLES MAY BE PREDETERMINATELY CONTROLLED IN ACCORDANCE WITH VARIATIONS IN THE MOLDING MATERIALS, SIZE AND SHAPE OF THE MOLDED PARTS AND DESIRED PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FINISHED ARTICLE. MOLDING VARIABLES SUCH AS MOVEMENT OF ONE OR MORE MOLD COMPONENTS, TIMING OF THE INJECTION OF MOLDING MATERIAL, VARIATIONS IN FLOW OF MOLDING MATERIAL AND HEATING OR COOLING OF THE MOLD WALLS MAY BE PREPROGRAMMED SO AS TO EACH VARY PREDETERMINED DEGREES DURING A MOLDING CYCLE SO THAT SUCH VARIABLES INCREASE AND/OR DECREASE IN PREDETERMINED RELATIONSHIP TO EACH OTHER TO PROVIDE A MOLDED ARTICLE HAVING PREDETERMINED AND OPTIMUM PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS.   IN ONE FORM OF THE INVENTION, MOLDING VARIABLES ARE CONTROLLED BY THE REPRODUCTION OF PRERECORDED ANALOG SIGNALS FROM A RECORDING MEMBER WHICH SIGNALS ARE USED TO VARIABLY CONTROL MOTORS CONTROLLING THE MOLDING VARIABLES. THE ANALOG SIGNALS MAY BE DERIVED FROM TRANSDUCERS INDICATING VARIATIONS IN SAID MOTORS DURING THE OPERATION OF AN OPTIMUM MOLDING CYCLE.



